CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to ensure fair fund allocation to K'taka under 16th Finance Commission
Raichur (Karnataka), Jun 23 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday urged the central government to ensure fair allocation of funds to the State under the 16th Finance Commission, claiming that it has suffered a loss of around Rs 80,000 crore in allocations compared to the 14th Finance Commission.
Addressing the media here, he criticised BJP MPs from Karnataka, alleging that "not a single saffron party MP has raised their voice on this serious injustice to the state."
Siddaramaiah alleged that despite being an influential minister close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has failed to secure the release of Rs 11,495 crore recommended as a special grant to Karnataka by the Finance Commission.
"He has no moral right to talk about Karnataka’s interests when this rightful grant is yet to be released," he claimed.
Siddaramaiah reiterated the state’s demand for a special grant from the Centre for the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region.
Karnataka already allocates Rs 5,000 crore annually for the region’s growth, and it is only fair that the union government also contributes, he said.
He added that his government will also examine the proposal to create a dedicated Ministry for Kalyana Karnataka to further strengthen development efforts.
Reacting to Minister H K Patil’s letter on illegal mining, Siddaramaiah acknowledged the recommendation to establish a special court to expedite investigations and recover dues from illegal mining cases.
He recalled that the Santosh Hegde Lokayukta report on illegal mining remains inadequately addressed and referred to his role in raising the issue in the Assembly, including participation in the Bellary padayatra against illegal mining in the past.
Regarding the concerns raised by Congress MLA Raju Kage about the lack of development activities in his Kagwad constituency, the CM assured that he would hold discussions with the MLA and that special grants would be prioritised for constituencies in need.
On MLA Belur Gopalakrishna’s reported statement regarding alleged corruption in housing schemes for the poor, Siddaramaiah said he would gather further details and informed that MLA B R Patil is scheduled to meet him on June 25 to discuss issues related to the Housing Department.
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Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav in ICU after cardiac arrest
Kochi (PTI): Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering a cardiac arrest on August 24, hospital sources said on Wednesday.
The 47-year-old actor, known for notable roles in various films and TV shows, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night after collapsing at a city hotel.
He was first taken to the Emergency Department and successfully revived through immediate resuscitation, the hospital said in a statement.
Keshav was then shifted to the Cath Lab, where an emergency angioplasty was performed, it said, adding that he had suffered a prolonged cardiac arrest, which resulted in a moderate hypoxic injury.
The Neuro Wing is closely monitoring his neurological recovery, and encouraging signs of progress are being observed, they explained.
"At present, he remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under advanced life support," the statement said.
His condition is serious but showing gradual improvement, with a multidisciplinary team of doctors actively involved in his treatment, it added.
